


The Next Item on the Agenda

by tehfanglyfish



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: And There's Only One Person in Camelot Who Can Save Him, Arthur Needs a Rescue, Bureaucracy, Canon Era, Deviates From Canon, Dragonlord Merlin (Merlin), Fluff, Getting Together, Kilgharrah's Rules of Order Should So Be a Thing, M/M, Merlin's Magic Revealed (Merlin), Ridiculous Council Members, Ridiculous Meetings That Last Too Long For Stupid Reasons
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-14
Updated: 2019-09-14
Packaged: 2020-10-18 12:23:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,087
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20639114
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tehfanglyfish/pseuds/tehfanglyfish
Summary: Arthur knows several things. First, the Great Dragon has returned to Camelot. Second, it only appears on days when council meetings are at their most tedious and the king desperately wants to escape. Third, Merlin always disappears right before the dragon arrives. Fourth, it's really lonely when Merlin goes missing. Could these things be related? No, they're likely all just one big coincidence.





	The Next Item on the Agenda

**Author's Note:**

> Written for love and never money, by someone who has endured one too many pointless meetings.

“And so, as everyone can see in Diagram 2, Section B, cutting parchments so that they are three inches longer will result in at least five more lines of tax listings on each page, which should then enable us to...”

“Yes, but if we make that change then we will have to add new shelves in the library. The ones we have were designed to hold books based on the current parchment size. Lengthening them will mean…”

It took all of Arthur’s self-control not to bang his head on the table as his minister for tax policy battled it out with Geoffrey of Monmouth over the size of the parchments used for the official revenue records. None of Uther’s attempts at educating Arthur on his duties as king had prepared him for just how many meetings he’d have to attend – or of how ridiculous they could get.

Though most council meetings were necessary and productive, there were others that left Arthur questioning his decision to give more people a voice in government. Tempers seemed to flare the most when the stakes were lowest. Arthur had faced enemies on the battlefield who were less ferocious than some of his advisors had been the day the topic of debate turned to the color of ink for official records. Sir Leon had to draw his sword to keep councilors from literally brawling over whether to allow the use of blue in addition to black.

Things wouldn’t be so bad if there was someone in the council chamber to share Arthur’s pain. Gaius, who hated these gatherings just as much as the king did, had adopted the annoying practice of bringing a book to the meetings. When topics turned to the inane, the old man refused to make eye contact with anyone, reading his tome until the dust settled.

Normally Merlin could be counted on to provide moral support, share amused glances, slip wine into the king’s water goblet, and just generally provide Arthur with something nice to look at as he wandered around the room engaged in his serving duties. Lately, though, when meetings became especially absurd, Merlin had been slipping out, leaving Arthur to deal with the chaos on his own.

What Arthur wouldn’t give to face off against a champion knight, or a gryphon, or…

“A dragon!” Leon called out.

Yes, that would do nicely. It took Arthur a minute to realize that his first knight wasn’t sharing the same daydream. It was back.

Though Arthur swore he had slain the Great Dragon years ago, over the past couple of months it, or a dragon very similar in appearance, had shown up in Camelot, flying over the Lower Town, soaring around the citadel, and swooping past the windows of the council chamber. That it chose to show up on the days when meetings were at their most tedious was a happy coincidence.

No – there was nothing happy about it, Arthur tried to remind himself. The dragon could be a threat to his people. The fact that it failed to attack anyone on its recent visits didn’t mean that Camelot’s good luck could hold forever.

“I’m afraid I’m needed for castle defense,” Arthur told the council. “Gaius, I’m leaving you to preside over the rest of this meeting.”

Gaius raised his eyebrow at the king but put away his book.

“I have no intention of dying of old age in this council chamber,” Gaius said to the group as Arthur left the room, Leon close behind.

****

It was glorious to be on a ride through the forest, Arthur’s horse galloping as fast as the trees would permit. Looking up through the canopy of leaves, he caught occasional glimpses of the dragon. He was no longer really concerned with catching the beast – it hadn’t harmed anyone and was heading away from the castle. Anyway, it wasn’t as though he could do much while it stayed aloft.

Arthur had even sent Leon and Gwaine back an hour ago, continuing his pursuit mainly to have a reason to enjoy the freedom of a ride through the woods. Here there were no responsibilities, no pressures, and no ridiculous councilors. It was almost like he was a prince again and not the king. He had his favorite horse, his sword, and the wind in his hair.

The only thing that would have made the ride better would have been if Merlin had been with him. Arthur tried to find him before setting out but had no luck. Once upon a time, he could always count on Merlin to be by his side, regardless of the danger. During these most recent dragon sightings, Merlin was nowhere to be found – it seemed strange that the man who had initially faced down the beast with him, unarmed and stupidly brave, would choose to abandon him now.

It was only natural, Arthur supposed, that Merlin would have his own life separate from the king. That was normal and healthy. Maybe he was enjoying solitude, or visiting with friends Arthur didn’t know, or maybe he was… oh gods, what if Merlin was courting a girl? If they got married, would Merlin resign?

Suddenly Arthur didn’t care about the dragon or riding carefree through the forest. He wanted to get back to Camelot and find Merlin. He should be safe at this point; it was too late to convene any meetings. Hopefully Merlin would be waiting with dinner. Arthur could feign hunger while secretly relishing Merlin’s company. Meals spent with just the two of them in Arthur’s chambers were increasingly the high point of Arthur’s days.

He could make out a grassy clearing ahead. He supposed it wouldn’t hurt anything to ride a little farther. It was a nice spot for his horse to rest and he could watch the last of the sunset before heading back. If he happened to arrive in his chambers with a handful of wildflowers to shove at his servant, he could make up some excuse about gathering herbs for Gaius.

As Arthur approached the glade, he heard voices. As the king, he knew he shouldn’t investigate these things alone. Leon would have a fit if he found out.

Best not to tell him then, Arthur decided as he dismounted. Tying her to a tree, he took his sword and crept through the foliage.

“You know young warlock, in the olden days, a summons from a dragonlord meant that he needed my assistance for something of grave importance, not for his personal amusement.”

So this was where the dragon had gone! And he had an accomplice – a warlock who was also a dragonlord? That couldn’t be right. Gaius had said that Balinor was the last dragonlord. But then Merlin had said that Arthur had slain the Great Dragon. Things weren’t adding up.

Arthur debated rushing back to Camelot for reinforcements. Despite his prowess as a warrior, he doubted there was much he could do on his own against a dragon _and_ a warlock. Still… over the past few weeks the dragon could have devasted Camelot but chose not to. Plus Arthur’s horse was too tired for a fast trip back. It would be better to stick around and find out what they were planning.

Keeping a tight grip on his sword, Arthur crept closer.

“Like you didn’t have a good time.”

It was the one voice Arthur had been wanting to hear for hours. What the hell was Merlin doing conspiring with a dragon?

“I must admit that it was amusing watching the masses scatter. At least until that horrid woman from the kitchens chucked her ladle at me. I think that’s going to leave a bruise. Although it’s not as much fun as when you first sent me on these flights of fancy. I think the people have figured out that I’m not actually going to attack.”

Arthur’s chest seized. Merlin, _his _Merlin, had been the one sending the dragon to terrorize Camelot? That would explain why his servant always disappeared right before the creature arrived, but why? Merlin had stuck with him through so much over the years, putting up with his teasing and his barbs, his foul moods and his messes. Despite his bravado, Arthur knew he could be difficult to be around at times. Someone scheming against him would have struck long ago, out of frustration if nothing else.

Anyway, the dragon had called this person a warlock. Merlin didn’t have magic. He couldn’t. Surely Arthur would have discovered it if that were the case. No, there had to be another explanation – perhaps a sorcerer had stolen Merlin’s voice to hide his identity.

“True,” said the imposter. “We’ll have to figure something else out. You could do more with fire. If I were to cast a shield around you, you could give the appearance of torching buildings without setting them alight. I’ll need to practice beforehand. I wouldn’t want my enchantment to fail at the wrong moment.”

“I’m not a circus animal, Merlin. You know I will always answer your call, but why are you having me do this?”

Regardless of what Arthur might have thought about the dragon, that was a very good question. Not that this was actually Merlin, Arthur reminded himself.

“Because I can’t take care of Arthur without your help, Kilgharrah. Undead armies, questing beasts, scheming nobles – those I can handle. But I’ve met my match with the council meetings. They’re horrible. Arthur’s trying so hard to be a good king, better than Uther, and his advisors take advantage of it. They don’t care about serving the people; they only want to fight about ink color and parchment size. I tried to stop them using my magic, but I can only make tankards tip over into laps so many times without raising suspicions. Anyway, he’s always so happy after he goes chasing you – the happiest I’ve seen him since he took the throne. He pretends to be frustrated but if you could see his eyes… or his smile… He’s so gorgeous and…”

Merlin never got to finish his sentence. Deciding that he’d heard more than enough, Arthur strode with purpose out from the trees. He paid the dragon no mind as he stepped forward, grabbing Merlin by the arm to spin him around to face him.

“Arthur, I…”

“Shut up, Merlin,” Arthur commanded before claiming Merlin’s mouth with his own. Was Merlin repulsed, or stunned, or… Arthur wasn’t sure. He only knew that Merlin had gone rigid in his arms, not shoving him away but not responding either. Maybe Arthur had been a bit too impulsive. Maybe he had made a terrible…

He shut down that line of thought as Merlin kissed him back with a ferocity that put all his doubts at ease. It was fortunate Arthur had spent so much time training with the knights. A weaker man’s knees might have buckled from the intensity of it.

“All those days,” Arthur murmured against Merlin’s skin when he finally pulled back to breathe, “you left me alone with those awful councilors while you ran off to play with a dragon.”

Merlin exhaled sharply, then gently nipped Arthur’s bottom lip with his teeth. It took a minute for Arthur to regain the ability to speak.

“I had to endure so many stupid arguments,” he eventually continued, running his fingers along Merlin’s jaw, “when it turns out that the whole time you could’ve hexed them into silence.”

“That might be due to the minor complication of magic being very illegal,” Merlin gasped as Arthur began to undo the knot holding his neckerchief in place.

“Yes, well, we’ll soon rectify that,” Arthur replied, distracted by Merlin’s neck. Even after all these years, it was rare to see him without the offensive cloth obscuring Arthur’s view. The exposed skin was crying out for Arthur to trail kisses down it. He decided to oblige it.

He felt a hand resting hesitantly on the top of his hip, as if asking for permission to travel lower. Arthur shifted ever so slightly, giving Merlin the encouragement he needed to…

“Ahem,” a gravely voice echoed behind them. “I hate to interrupt but perhaps this is something that should be continued somewhere more private.”

Arthur had never known that dragons could laugh. Or that the sound would be so maddening.

“Can you get him to stop that?”

“I’ve been trying for years.”

“Some dragonlord you are,” Arthur huffed, pressing his forehead against Merlin’s. “Then make him eat half the council members. If I have to hear one more argument about whether we should keep the name ‘council meeting’ or change it to ‘advisors conversation,’ I am going to start breathing fire myself.”

The dragon’s laughter intensified behind them, but Merlin paid it no mind.

“You… you do realize I have magic? I use it for you, Arthur, only for you, but I’ve been hiding it from you since we first met.”

“Yes, of course, Merlin. I’m not that dense.”

“I just wanted to make sure,” Merlin replied. “You’re taking this better than I expected.”

“Well, it’s not as though I haven’t benefited from it. If you hadn’t called the dragon, I’d still be stuck in the council chamber.”

It was true that a part of Arthur that had been shocked, and angry, and hurt at this discovery. But the rest of him had told that part to kindly piss off after Merlin kissed him. Merlin could be magic incarnate for all Arthur cared. Right now his main priority was getting Merlin back to the castle and into his chambers – preferably sooner rather than later.

“Young Pendragon, how much wiser you are than your father,” the dragon said, cutting into Arthur’s thoughts. “And to reward you for how easily you have accepted Merlin’s abilities, I have a proposal. One that will end your ministerial troubles once and for all.”

“Are you really going to eat them?” Arthur asked, turning to face the creature. He knew he couldn’t let that happen, but that didn’t stop him from taking a moment to relish the thought of councilors running in terror from the dragon.

“No,” Kilgharrah replied, “but I see no reason to tell that I won’t. If you grant me a seat on the council, though, I will keep them in line for you.”

“You want a seat on the council?”

“Yes. To give voice to the needs of magical beings within your realm. I have heard of your plans to build an inclusive kingdom. It seems only fair that you allow those like me to have representation on your council.”

Arthur considered what the dragon said. It was pure madness and yet it made a kind of perfect sense. And it came with some definite benefits.

“You swear that you won’t actually harm the councilors? But you will put an end to their pointless bickering?”

“You have my solemn oath.”

Arthur shifted his gaze back to Merlin, giving him a pointed stare. Understanding what Arthur was asking, Merlin nodded.

“Then you shall have your seat. We will reconvene the day after tomorrow, on top of the northern tower until we can figure out a better location to accommodate you. And I am holding you to your promise. If any discussion of parchment size, book binding glue, or feast day side dish goes on for more than 5 minutes, I will reconsider your appointment.”

“Your terms are fair and I accept them. I will see you both in two days’ time.”

As he watched the dragon fly off, Arthur felt warm fingers intertwining with his own.

And just like that, all thoughts of dragons and councilors melted away. All Arthur could think about was the man standing next to him.

“Come along, Merlin,” he said. “We have much to discuss on the way back to Camelot.”

It was several hours before they finally made it back to the castle. As they entered the citadel, they found Gwaine waiting for them.

“Leon wanted to go looking for you, but I told him not to worry. When I couldn’t find Merlin here, I knew he was with you and that you’d be safe,” Gwaine said as he glanced them over. If Gwaine noticed that their clothes were a bit rumpled or that there were bits of leaves stuck in their hair, he said nothing.

Good man, thought Arthur, nodding at Gwaine before leading Merlin on to his chambers.

****

Two days later, a very relaxed king called to order the day’s council meeting from atop the northern tower. Being under the open sky had put Arthur in a very good mood. He was slightly disappointed that his newest council member seemed to have forgotten his promise to attend, but having Merlin’s hand to hold throughout the meeting was more than making up for Kilgharrah’s absence.

Arthur was just about to raise the first item of business, when the tax minister cut in.

“Before we move on, I would just like to finish up our discussion from the last meeting. I know several of you are content to continue using the round serving trays for meeting refreshments, but there are many good reasons to replace them with rectangular ones. If you’ll take a moment to look over these charts I’ve put together…”

A strong gust of wind blew the papers out of the councilor’s hands. The rest of the council members ignored his frantic efforts to collect his charts; their eyes were on the newest arrival to the meeting.

“I don’t recall seeing serving trays on today’s agenda,” a gravely voice boomed.

The flustered minister turned around to find himself facing a thirty-foot tall dragon.

“N-no. I was just…”

“You were just going to follow the agenda as it’s written, were you not?”

“Y-yes…”

“Good. I am pleased to hear it.”

“If we could get to the first item of business,” Arthur interjected, “I’d like to introduce you all to our newest member, Councilor Kilgharrah. He will be advising the council on matters related to magical beings. He is also well-versed in rules of order and follows them strictly. Now, moving along to the next matter, I need to let you know I have suspended the official search for a bride. There have been some developments that I need to fill you in on.”

And from there, the day’s meeting, and those that followed over the years, proceeded in an orderly and punctual manner, leaving Arthur with ample free time to attend to other matters of government… and matters of the heart.


End file.
